Process of transforming chemical energy of fuel into electrical energy



(No Model.)

W. BOROHERS. PROCESS OF TRANSPORMING GHEMIGAL ENERGY 01- FUEL INTO ELEGTRIOAL ENERGY.

No. 567,959. Patented Sept. 22,1896.

if t 7 men???" (new %%6Z77L,2702G6719 ZXW I E5 ing carbon monoxid, as,

'free hydrogen, and

UNITED ST T-Es" PATENT Fries.

WILHELM' BoRoHERs, or nUIsBURe, GERMANY.

PROCESS OF TRANSFORMING CHEMICAL ENERGY 0F FUEL INTQ ELI'iCIRiCA L ENERGY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters PatexitNo. sezesadated September 22', less.

k plioation filed N vember 21, 1894. Renewed August 21, 1896. fierial No. 8(l3,544 (N0 specimens.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, lVI'LHELM BORCHERS,a subject of the Kingof Prussia, German Einperor, residing at the city of D uisbu rg-on ther Rhine, in the Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Process of Transforming the Chemical Energy 'of Fuel into Electrical'Energy, of which the following is a specification.

with two or more cells in which gases ob t'aincd by imperfect combustion or by destructive distillation, or by both imperfect combustion and destructive distillation, ofcoal and other fuel are oxidized by. the oxy-" gen of the air, so as to generate a large amount of the chemical energy of such fuel as electrical energy, using solutions of metals as electrolytes. V

The gases I have under consideration are carbon monoxid, (C0,) andall gases containforinstance, the common coal generator-gas, waiergas, and the escape-gases from blast-furnaces. Furthermore, such gases from coal containing, besides carbon monoxid, chiefly hydrocarbons, other combustible gases, as, for instance, lighting-gas, escapegas from coke-ovens, charcoal-ovens, and other appliances; in short, all combustible gases that can be obtained from coal and other I natural fuel.

- acid:

The principal point of my invention is the use of an electrolyte whichin the first instance is a good solvent for either of the gases named, and which on the other hand is able to become chemically changed by the gases named, so that with the oxygen of the air it will form a product that tends to oxidize the product formed by the electrolyte. and the fuel-gas. In this point my invention diifers from all other inventions hitherto made on gas-batteries.

.,A salt which will best serve as an electrolyte for the pur ose just. stated is ouprous chlorid, (011 01,, dissolved in acid, alkaline, or salt solutions.

Oxygen will oxidize the cuprous into cu..- pric chlorid if muriatic acid be present or if substances are present that give up Inuriatic 'fore platinum and The above-named fuel-gases h'ave, as is known from gas analysis, d ucing copper from. solutions of cuprous chlorid. Taking carbon monoxid as example, the process may be explained by the following equations: a

II. Ou Ol j-OO: 011 01 60.

'As will be seen, necessary niuriatic acid for processl. However, before the copperliberated according to equation III is really depositedas substantial-metal a reaction takes place between the products of process I and the products of proc ess III according to thefollowing equations IV. 2OuCl +Gu =2Ou Cl If now we take the algebraic sum of these fourequations, the net result will be:

V. OO+O=CO,,. From equation 1V it will be seen that the electrolyte is constantly being recovered. The accompanying drawing shows a 'U- shaped vessel 1: of non-conducting material to hold the electrolyte E. ,Each compartment trode, 1H- t--, respectively, to connect the electrolyte in the vessel with an external circuit for the electric current to I be generated. These terminals may consist of any conducting substance which is not attacked by the electrolyte or by'the gases mentioned. Thereother metals of'the platinum. group, gold, and carbon, The electrode marked t-lmay also be made of copper, if the substances just named are the tendency'of 8* process III furnishes the 4 holds at the upper end a terminal or-elecs may be used.

not preferred,"'and just as wellthe electrode marked t-may consist of a conducting metallic oxid, such as oxidof copper, (0119.)

The compartment containing the terminal t+ is provided with a cap 0, that contains gasinl'ets iand gas-outlets 0. Into the cap '0, by means of the inlet 2', I conduct carbon monoxid or any of the other fuel-gases. Part of such gases will be dissolved and will in-.

fluence the solution, as described in equa tions II and III. The rest of the gas will escape through the outlet 0 and may be conducted through same kind.

one ormore batteries of the To the open compartment of the vessel o air has free admission. The oxygen-of the air will influence the electrolyte in the manner described in equation I, and-while the resultin g processes, as shown by equations IV and V, are going on an electric current is g nal circuit.

Therefore what I claim as new is Theherein-describ'ed process of generating electricity consisting in placing a bath of 1c cuprous chlorid in a closed circuit, dissolvenerated that may be utilized in the exteriug fuel-gas in said bath of cuprous chlorid at one point and dissoi'ving oxygen of the air at another point in the bath, substantial iy as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my 15 hand in presence of two witnesses.

VILHELM BORCHERS.

\Vitnesses: 1

ERNESTINE ANDRE, LAURA LIEBER. 

